Green outdoor clothing

Several companies provide eco-conscious outdoor threads

ExOfficios Tofutech Tee wicks moisture, retains warmth, and resists wrinkles. It is made of a 100 percent soy-based, biodegradable fabric.

PHOTO COURTESY OF EXOFFICIO

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Where can one find the best options for
green-friendly outdoor clothing, as well as traditional items without the
environmental guilt? Outdoor gear and clothing manufacturers are slowly
but surely beginning to work materials crafted from recycled, reused, or
otherwise sustainable sources into their products. Synthetics such as polyester and nylon have been the
“go to” materials for outdoor clothes because of their
moisture-wicking, quick-drying, and warmth-retention properties, but they
are fast being augmented, if not replaced outright, by new fabrics crafted
from organic plant-based materials. For instance, soybeans are now finding
their way into outdoor clothing. One example is ExOfficio’s Tofutech
Tee, which wicks moisture, retains warmth, and resists wrinkles and is made
of a 100 percent soy-based, biodegradable fabric. Another innovation is Cocona, from the Colorado-based
company of the same name. It’s a fabric treatment derived from
coconut husks discarded by the food industry that helps traditional fabrics
wick moisture, control odor, and shield the wearer from UV rays. Some 40
clothing manufacturers, including GoLite, Marmot, Sierra Designs, and Royal
Robbins, are incorporating Cocona into their 2008 product lines. Not to be outdone is Patagonia, a company many
consider the granddaddy of eco-conscious outdoor gear. The California-based
company now uses 100 percent organic cotton in all of its shirts, pants,
outerwear, and underwear to avoid the pesticides used in the growing of
conventional cotton. Patagonia also takes back its customers’ own
discards, melting them down to use the raw materials in new jackets and
sweaters. And last year the company launched a new line of footwear
constructed with the use of organic cotton, recycled rubber soles, latex
made from the milk of hevea trees, hemp, and laces made from vegetable
waste. Another cutting-edge outdoor company is shoemaker
Timberland. Its new Greenscapes line of sneakers is made with vegetable-
(instead of chemical-) tanned leather and is hand-sewn instead of glued
with the toxic adhesives normally found in footwear. The new line also
sports recycled-polyester laces and outsoles made from recycled rubber.
Timberland recently switched to packaging made from green-friendly and
recycled materials, and it has launched a “Green Index” to
reflect each product’s environmental footprint. The company is
working with the Outdoor Industry Association to implement an industry-wide
version of the index so consumers can compare the relative green-ness of
competing products. For more information:
ExOfficio, www.exofficio.com; Cocona Fabrics, www.coconafabrics.com;
Patagonia, www.patagonia.com; Timberland, www.timberland.com.Send questions to Earth Talk at P.O. Box 5098,
Westport, CT 06881 or e-mail earthtalk@emagazine.com.